Apple EarPod Review

All new iPhone 5 comes with the new EarPods which Apple claims spent 3 years in R&D. It is indeed a radical design, somewhat common sensical, if you ask me, that the speaker driver outlets ought to face towards the ear canal instead of against the ear wall. I am sure many some earphone manufacturers would reference the EarPod, working its way around the patent to avoid any infringement.

The EarPod rests comfortably in my ears and feels next to nothing. There is no rubber lining to grip the EarPods to the ear, so I don't think it will work well for active activities. The EarPods feel loose and there is a tendency to try to adjust the position in hoping for an optimal listening fit. When I try to push the EarPods further into my ear canals, I can get quite a good balance of bass and clear treble.  If I let it rest in my ears, the bass is still audible but does not give the deep feel-good punch. Plus the fact that it's not in-ear, the bass frequency will definitely be lost among the ambient noise. The treble sound clear though, and definitely better sounding than the predecessors.

Apple claims that the EarPods could match earphones costing hundreds of dollars. Judge for yourself: look for a friend with an iPhone 5 and borrow for a test drive. My take is: you probably will like the sound of it at first go. But once you do a side-by-side comparison with any third party earphones, you will favour the latter.

I like how Apple includes the EarPod case with the iPhone 5 to allow better storage. Chances are, they will remain there throughout your iPhone ownership. Pity the fact that Apple spent 3 years to design a nice pair of earphones only to be bundled with iPhone 5 rather than to be sold separately as premium accessory. Perhaps they knew it wasn't that good enough as a standalone product. Perhaps they needed a unique feature to talk about for the iPhone 5 launch.

Sony DSC-RX100 F1.8 Compact Camera Review

When Sony announced the RX100, many of my social media peers were raving about it. So I had to try it myself.

Specs:

• 1" EXMOR CMOS sensor
• 20.9 million pixels
• 28-100mm optical zoom
• F1.8-4.9 aperture
• ISO 125-6400
• 10fps (Speed Priority Mode)
• 3-inch 1228K LCD monitor
• Supports Sony RAW+JPEG capture

From first look, the RX100 seems like any compact cameras in the market. Having a bright F/1.8 lens really doesn't mean a lot since there are a handful of bright lens compact cameras available, with a fair share of good and not-so-impressive ones. Could the RX100 fall under the latter too?

I have to admit, the Sony RX100 is one of the most desirable compact cameras that I have reviewed for a long while. I am usually unimpressed with compact cameras due to my stringent photographic requirements from DSLR background. I expect my cameras to be fast and versatile, allowing me to make shooting adjustments without missing a beat.

While RX100 is nowhere near DSLR handling quality, its capability impresses me and its image quality wows me.

Large Sensor, Small Body

The RX100 is fitted with the largest sensor found in a compact camera - same sensor size as the bulky and heavy mirrorless Nikon 1. Combined with a large maximum aperture, the effective depth of field is also one of the most shallow among the compact cameras, while other brands have their large sensors housed in larger sized bodies. Image details are better, with lesser digital artefacts.

To add to that, the RX100 performs admirably at high ISO. Many compact cameras claim they can achieve low noise at high ISO. That's only half the story. If your aperture is not large enough, your shutter speed would still have to be slower and that results in shaky images, and further pushing the ISO higher. So with the RX100, even when the lens has a variable aperture of F1.8-4.9, you can effectively shoot at a faster shutter speed without pushing ISO too high. At extreme conditions, your ISO can go to the highest while shutter speed is still fast enough for hand-holding. In addition, the large sensor size helps tremendously in achieving better high ISO performance. For that, the RX100 is the top-choice compact camera for low light photography.

Manual Handling

The RX100 does not start up very fast. Shutting down also takes a while especially if you do not have a super-fast SD card. It also takes a while to save Full-HD video files, as well as showing preview shots. But I like how easy it is to change EV compensation before taking a shot. And how I can assign up to 7 functions to the Fn button. The lens ring helps to make settings adjustments in different modes. For instance, under SCENE mode, turning the lens ring changes the scene; under Intelligent Auto mode, the lens ring adjusts zoom in small and silent actions.

I also like the ease of adjusting exposure on the fly during movie recording mode. No longer will you be at the mercy of the camera's auto exposure, or the inability to finetune exposure while recording is in progress. The RX100 will help you achieve exposure controls any time, just press the EV button. You can also enable manual focus mode for video recording, but the focusing mode has to be selected before recording.

Improvements, Please

The RX100 still has a few areas that could be improved. 

1. First, like most Sony cameras, you to select the playback view of either still photos, MP4 movie, or AVCHD movie. This makes viewing mixed images and videos a chore. 
2. Then, there is no mechanical switch to pop up the flash. To activate flash, I have to select from shortcut button, then it will automatically pop up when I half-press the shutter. Good thing is that the flash can be manually tilted upwards for creative lighting.
3. Battery life indicator is not in remaining minutes. Sony did not implement the InfoLithium battery that they are famed for, which means I will not be able to accurately predict my remaining battery life. Still, the battery life is surprisingly good and it can last me a day at Universal Studios Singapore, capturing over 6GB of image and video, with ample juice left.
4. Lens ring requires more turning movement to make value changes and the values change rather slowly as the LCD monitor animates the sequence, so I find myself unable to make quick adjustments when using lens ring.
5. The RX100 cannot focus in macro mode except at its widest angle 28mm. So that kindda limits the framing possibilities.
6. When shooting close-up images at F1.8, the images exhibit softness and fringing, characteristics of a DSLR fix-focal lens. Love it or hate it.
7. It can take a while to save HD video recording. While the camera is saving images, you cannot start capturing new video, and vice versa.
8. Price could be more competitive. That is the first comment from most of my peers when I told them about the S$999 retail price.

A Recommended Product

The RX100 pocket-able, lightweight and built of premium metal finish. It performs admirably well under low light and easy to manually adjust exposure which is important to me. I don't fancy those SCENE modes or special filters, but they are available if you need them. The RX100 can be charged using high-power portable battery chargers, an added advantage for travelers. The RX100 is one of the most impressive compact cameras I have reviewed in recent years, and I would get one for myself if the price is more enticing.


Sample Images

Notice that my review does not mention about image quality. That's because I'm sharing some of the images I took with the RX100. Most of them are unprocessed, so you may judge for yourself. Generally, I find the RX100 does not have the "compact camera" image look, and I attribute that largely to the large 1-inch image sensor.

Shallow depth of field at F1.8,

F1.8 1/30s ISO 1000. Aperture mode. Sony RX100 handles auto exposure at night very well.
Most other compact cameras would have over-exposed this shot when shooting in auto exposure mode.

F1.8 1/15s ISO6400.
I am speechless at the ability for me to capture my little active passenger at night, lighted only by street lamps and shophouses.
Sony RX100 is indeed good!

F1.8 1/30s ISO 1250

F1.8 1/30s ISO 2000

For more photos taken with Sony RX100, visit the Music.Photo.Life facebook page photo album here.


This article is also published on XINMSN.

iPhone 5 Exclusive Accessories: nanoSIM & Lightning

Nano SIM
If you have gotten yourself an iPhone 5, then you would have had the chance to insert the smallest SIM card in the world - the nano SIM - into your prized possession.

How small is it? Here's a comparison with the standard SIM card.

iPhone 5 owners would probably be nonchalant about the new SIM format, but one thing is for sure: in the event that your iPhone 5 breaks down, you will not be able to use any other mobile device in the market with your nano SIM.

Unless, you purchase a nano SIM adapter, which allows you to hold the nano SIM within a plastic frame the size of a micro SIM or the normal SIM, depends on which one you require.

It's available at some mobile shops, but beware of exorbitant prices. I was at Sim Lim Square a few days back, and the ground floor shop was selling for S$15.90. I went to the fifth floor and found a shop selling the same brand for S$9.90.

If you want even cheaper, some local online shops like Qoo10 is selling for below S$5. Over time, prices will fall. I bought my micro SIM adapter a year go for less than S$2.

Don't save on it. If you own an iPhone 5, BUY IT. This is your insurance in case your iPhone 5 breaks down. Else, there is no other way to use your nano SIM except to get another iPhone 5.

Lightning
Unless you bought spares, the new Lightning connector cable will probably be in your bag, following wherever you are. It is your iPhone 5 lifeline, the cable that allows you to plug to your office laptop, your portable battery pack, to charge your iPhone 5. If you lose it or spoil it, then there is no way to charge your iPhone 5. Buy extra cables from Apple stores at S$28. Some online shops are already taking pre-orders and will be shipping OEM versions in October, but don't count on it, because Apple has incorporated some sort of encryption chip which could render the OEM versions unusable.

I'm sure Apple means well when they redesigned the connector and reduced the SIM card size. Apple has the market influence to implement new formats. Over time, people will embrace the new connector, third party manufacturers will support them, and new mobile products might also deploy nano SIM as their choice of SIM cards, possibly skipping the micro SIM altogether (currently there are less than a dozen mobile devices selling in Singapore that uses micro SIM).

iPhone 5 brand New, Scratch Marks.

The reports are true, and I am a victim too. I found ONE scratch yesterday on my wife's unused iPhone 5 upon close inspection.

I guess it's not as bad as some others.

But it's a real pity that such a beautiful mobile device has to be forever shrouded underneath casings due to its inability to sustain environmental abuses. Same has to be said to my Samsung Galaxy S3. I think future phones should go the way of the classic Nokia Xpress Covers back in the early 2000.

Samsung Galaxy S3 Review - By Josh Woodson

Read below to find out about many of the Samsung Galaxy S3's features, specs, and release date.
Design:
Samsung has decided that the design behind the Galaxy S3 ought to be a nature theme. A direct quote coming from Samsung states that the S3 is, "inspired by nature and designed for humans - it sees, listens, responds, and allows you to share the greatest moments". The S3 will come in plastic casings of Pebble Blue and Marble White.
The menu buttons look comparable to the Galaxy S, although the home button has increased in size. The Super AMOLED HD display screen on the Galaxy S3 may be the greatest display screen out on the market for smart phones. The screen is 4.8 inches in size, which makes it the largest on the market place as well.
Interface:
Making the phone in line with its nature theme, the S3 has sounds such as dripping water whenever you unlock the device or when touching menu options. While Samsung has pushed the nature theme, you able to customize these things if you do not enjoy it.
The Touchwiz interface has been retooled for ease of access. The dock at the bottom of the display screen now holds 5 items. The 4.8 inch display screen is certainly capable of handling the extra icons.
Tech:
A brand new revolutionary technology for the Galaxy S3 is referred to as Smart Stay. It utilizes the camera to track the movement of your eyes. This allows for the screen to "know" when you is looking at it so that features such as the back light do not dim when you are looking at the screen. keeping with the Smart naming scheme, the S3 additionally has a feature called Smart Voice. This is comparable to SIRI on the Apple iPhone 4S. It allows you to use your voice to issue voice commands to the phone.
A feature called Direct Call also allows for you to make a call to someone straight from a message. You simply lift the phone to your ear and the Galaxy S3 will automatically call the individual you were chatting to.
S Beam is a feature to help make transferring files between phones easier. It is used to link two phones and transfer video, photo, music, as well as other content over wifi. It allows for you to easily put your Galaxy S3 next to your friends and tap a file that you wish to be transferred. You may only make use of this with another Samsung Galaxy S3 phone however.
Pop Up Play feature is a feature that was added to make multi tasking while watching videos easier. You are able to pop out and move your video screen around the phone's display screen, allowing you to access your other apps.
The Samsung Galaxy S3 supports internal memory of 16, 32, and 64GB whilst also allowing an SD Card to expand the internal memory further.
Camera:
The camera is guaranteed to be an excellent feature on the Galaxy S3. The Samsung Galaxy S3 comes with an 8 megapixel back camera. The front camera is 1.2 megapixels. The camera is capable of recording video at 720p.
The camera has standard features such as facial recognition, burst mode, High Dynamic Range, panorama, smile shot, beauty mode as well as others.
Apps:
One of the most crucial features of smart phones are the apps. The Samsung Galaxy S3 has new apps, S Suggests and S Memo. Some important apps missing from the S2 are the Reader Hub for magazines and newspapers. The reader hub was replaced by the Video Hub instead.
The Galaxy S3 also has the Music Hub which allows you to browse MP3 music from the Amazon mp3 store.
The Gamer Hub enables you to download games from the app store.
Battery:
The battery power has been improved from 1650mAh(Samsung Galaxy S2) to 2100mAh (Samsung Galaxy S3). This should allow for a longer batter life compared to the Samsung Galaxy S2. Samsung has promised the Galaxy S3 will use greater power management techniques to provide longer battery life than earlier models.
Conclusion:
This Samsung Galaxy S3 review has shown that the device has many upgraded features to be regarded as one of the best phones on the market today.
The Samsung Galaxy S3 specs show its power over the competition with its 4.8″ Super AMOLED HD Screen, 1.4GHz Quad Core Exynos processor, Bluetooth 4.0, 64GB Internal Memory, S Beam, S Voice, Eye Catching, longer battery life, Pop Up Play, and more.
The only disadvantages coming out on the Samsung Galaxy S3 is the somewhat cheap feel of the plastic casing. We believe that the technology and specs of the device more than make up for this modest set back however. The Samsung Galaxy S3 is scheduled to be released on June 21, 2012. If you are interested on where to buy the Samsung Galaxy S3, you can order it now on Amazon.
Rating: 4/5 Stars

Josh Woodson has been involved with the IT industry for several years. To read his information and reviews on new products as they hit the market, please visit UDTechReviews

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Josh_Woodson

Samsung slashes Galaxy S III, S II and Note prices

Samsung slashes Galaxy S III, S II and Note prices 

Its competitions that always makes differences in the market. As the two topmost companies Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics facing each other on court with some patent issues, its going to be a tough competition for their products in the market.

With Apple iPhone5’s recent release in the market Samsung slashed the prices of their premium handsets Samsung Galaxy SIII,Galaxy SII, and Galaxy Note and made them available in a much more lucrative price than before. Samsung hopes this could cut short iPhone5’s sales and could attract more towards Samsung as both offers almost the same features where Samsung offers a better price.
Now, Samsung's Galaxy SIII costs Rs 34,990, a reduction of Rs 3000 from its earlier price of Rs 37,990.
The Samsung Galaxy SII, which was retailing at Rs 27,990 just a few days back, is now available for Rs 25,990.
The 5.3 inch display bearing Galaxy Note phablet(the tablet cum phone) has also seen a major price drop from Rs 32,990 to Rs 29,990.

Samsung is facing competition from others also.Some of the competitors for Samsung's premium handsets are:

Samsung Galaxy SII's new competitors
Galaxy SII comes with a 4.3 inch Super Amoled (Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode) Plus display, an ARM cortex A9 based 1.2 GHz dual core processor, an 8 megapixel rear camera which is capable of full HD 1080 video recording, and a 2 megapixel front facing camera. The SII also supports Near Field Communications or NFC as well for mobile transactions. It has also received Android 4.0 through an upgrade recently.
The Galaxy SII after the price drop competes with Motorola's flagship Moto Razr which comes in a very sturdy body and features similar specification.
It now also would face competition from HTC Sensation XE which has similar specification but has a slightly faster processor, and is specially designed for better music and camera output. Another competitor is the Sony's Xperia P which again is a very good match in terms of specifications.

Samsung Galaxy Note's new competition
With the price drop, the Samsung Galaxy Note now shares space with the likes of HTC One S. Though the HTC handset has a better 1.7 GHz dual core processor compared to 1.4 Ghz dual core unit of Note but it has a much smaller 4.3 inch screen against the 5.3 inch display of the Samsung smartphone.
Similarly Sony Xperia S and SL are priced in this range and offers better camera with 13 megapixel unit compared to 8 megapixel of Note. Also, while Xperia S has a 1.5 Ghz dual core processor, the Xperia SL boasts a 1.7 Ghz dual core processor.

Samsung Galaxy SIII
SIII has been in the league of its own in terms of pricing. With this reduction in price, it has though now become cheaper than Sony Xperia Ion by Rs 1,000. This is definitely not a good news for the Sony smartphone, which though has a better 12 megapixel camera, could not be a match of SIII with its 1.5 Ghz dual core processor.
Samsung Galaxy SIII has a 4.8 inch HD Super Amoled display with 1280 x 720 pixel resolution, a quad core 1.4 GHz Exynos 4 mobile processor, Android Ice Cream Sandwich operating system and the new TouchWiz user interface.
It also features an 8 megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash. It's capable of recording full 1080p HD videos at 30 frames per second. At the front there is a 1.9 megapixel camera that is capable of 720p HD videos for video chats.

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HTC 8X,8S:SmartPhones with Windows Phone8

HTC 8X,8S:SmartPhones with Windows Phone8

As Microsoft is about to release their new operating system Windows8 and the smart phone version Windows Phone8 the market is ready with smart phones to adapt the new operating system.

HTC has unveils their two smart phone models HTC 8X and HTC 8S running Windows Phone 8.

They said the smart phone will be available from November through more than 150 service providers over 50 countries globally.



HTC 8X Features:

OS: Windows Phone8
Processor: Dual-core 1.5 GHz Qualcomm processor
RAM: 1GB RAM
Storage Capacity: 16GB
Camera: 8 megapixel rear camera and 2.1mp, f/2.0 aperture, 88° wide angle front-facing camera
Screen: 4.3-inch HD-resolution super LCD 2 with Gorilla Glass Protection
Weight: 130 grams
Battery: 1800 mAh battery
Colors: California Blue, Graphite Black, Flame Red and Limelight Yellow


HTC 8S Features:

OS: Windows Phone8
Processor: Dual-core 1 GHz Qualcomm processor
RAM: 512 MB
Storage Capacity: 16GB internal
Camera: 5 Megapixel with sensor
Screen: 4-inch super LCD screen with Gorilla Glass Protection
Weight: 113 grams
Battery: 1700 mAh battery
Colors: Domino, Fiesta Red, Atlantic Blue and High-Rise Gray.

HTC facing some serious problems as their sales dropped recently in the market. They are trying to get back into the market but facing crutial competition from Apple and Samsung and Nokia. HTC has to face a tight competition from  Nokia who is a Microsoft's direct partner about to introduce Windows phone 8 based smart phones Lumia and also from Samsung who introduced their first Windows Phone 8 based smart phone Aitv S

They hope the new Smartphone HTC 8X and 8S with Windows Phone8 rather than an Android Os could make some difference.

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Samsung AITV S :The first Windows Phone 8 Smartphone

Samsung  AITV S :The first Windows Phone 8 Smartphone

 Samsung Electronics launched the world's first Smartphone using Microsoft's latest mobile software Windows Phone 8 at an event at IFA Berlin.

Samsung ATIV S has a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and HSPA+42 connectivity. The Smartphone features a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display.

As Nokia was expected as the first one to release the smart phones with Windows Phone8 OS with their Lumia smart phones, Samsung has outrun them with AITV-S.

With patent issues with Apple, Samsung is slowly changing its platform to windows which has less chances for patent violations so do most of the other Smartphone manufacturers and it is a good news for Microsoft also as they are trying to retain their supreme position software market.

HTC another vendor of mobile phones also introducing Windows Phone8 based smart phones HTC 8X and HTC 8S which is said to be available from November globally.

With Apple’s new iPhone5 running iOS6, and Samsung Galaxy SIII with an Android OS and now its Windows Phone8.Its clear that the Operating systems are going to be put to test and unlike the other days each one is much better than the other. Let’s see who’s going to win the race?

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